The United States Political System

In our system of government we are privileged with the option to take part in the political process that runs the country. It is our right to vote that lets the people influence change in policy and set the guidelines that politicians must follow to be elected representatives. This precious ability, which is most coveted in most non-democratic countries, is taken for granted in our own.

           The U.S. electoral system was created to give every citizen a say in who their elected officials should be, but this system has failed miserably. The right to vote is a basic right that needs be provided to every American regardless of such traits as political party, religion, or ethnicity. It is unethical to deny a person the right to vote and historically that has been a major problem in the United States. Our election system is completely corrupt and voter rights is not the only problem, strategically drawing voting districts is also a major issue. Our current electoral system is corrupt and unethical because of gerrymandering, the breaking down of the voter rights act, and voter ID laws.

In the United States of America, the political party system is pivotal to the function of our nation. The political party system in our society today is separated between the Democrats and the Republicans. Although political parties do possess uncertainties their advantages outweigh their drawbacks in America. The United States of America is made up of two basic political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. A political party is a group of individuals who share similar interest and they work together with one another to construct and execute policies. The Democratic Party was established in 1828, by Andrew Jackson. The Democratic Party was created based on a belief in an unyielding government and an advocacy of social and

The American two-party system is the result of the way elections are structured in the United States. Representatives in the Congress and in state legislatures are elected to in single-member districts where the individual with the most votes wins. Seeing that only one party 's candidate can win in each district, there is a strong motivation for political candidates to organize themselves into two competing parties. By doing so, party members and candidates maximize their chances of winning elections. In some countries where there are multi-member districts, parties that win smaller percentages of the vote can often win legislative representation. Consequently, in such systems, there is an incentive to form smaller third parties. Other features of the American system of elections, such as campaign finance rules, the Electoral College, and rules giving party candidates ballot access further reinforce the two-party system in the United States. While third parties rarely win major elections, and never the presidency, they have been successful in changing the outcome of elections by withdrawing political support away from one of the two major party candidates. Whatever American system contains to encourage a two party system typically discourages the emergence of third parties. Ever since third parties have emerged in American political history, their successes have been short-lived. Most third parties try to build their support to become like one of the dominant parties, just

In the United States, we have a majority rule type of system where only one person represents an entire district of people. This system is extremely pluralized, which means that people will favor either extreme on the view of an issue. Due to these reasons, only two parties can coexist, and it is difficult for a third party to gain favor in the masses, which is Duverger’s Law. In the history of the United States, there has usually been two political parties that represented the views of the masses. Each of these parties had a certain way that they believed about the major issues of the time that were brought up or could be influenced by the government. The reason that only two parties have ever been able to establish themselves in government is because of the majority ruled system that our government has, and the love people have for having a definite answer rather than an indefinite one.

Elections shape the scope and size of our government. It’s an event where the people can decide the direction of a locality, a state, and even the federal government. Immigrants and youth who can’t vote are still impacted by the decisions of those being elected. Elections are paramount to our system of governance, however the way campaigns are run, and how funds are raised lack any meaningful oversight. The united states campaign finance system is in need reform, due to increasing deregulation, poor voter participation, and drastic increases third party spending. The root cause of this issue is our deregulated campaign finance system.

Once elected, politicians are inundated with constant reminders from lobbyists, of whose money helped elect them. According to the Office of Public Records, in 2009 there were almost 14,000 lobbyists who were supported by $3.5 billion of corporate money (geekacademy.com, 2010). With the combination of lobbyists and political donations, corporations are able to pressure politicians to help frame issues that are more favorable to them. And at the same time, keeping critical issues from being brought before Congress which those corporations are against. Political donations and corporate lobbying have proved to be an excellent

Today, there exists the rift in the American political system marked by the ongoing clash between our political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. These parties’ dissenting ideas seem to create non-stop conflict as each party relentlessly competes for the support and votes of the American people. However, over two hundred years ago in the early days of our country’s government, political parties did not even exist. Early leaders, such as the revered George Washington, feared that political parties would split our country into warring factions that would not only subvert our delicate notion of patriotism, but also weaken public support for the new Constitution. Nonetheless, despite opposition by Washington and others, political parties began to form, and over the years have developed into the familiar political system we have today. The chief factors that led to the rise of political parties were the disagreements between influential politicians over the structure of the government, the proper interpretation of the Constitution, and foreign policy regarding European nations.

Money has always been a major part of American politics. That red, white and blue our politicians wear could easily be embroidered with that paper green that we know so well. Over the last decade the cost of winning a political election has increased dramatically. In 2002 the cost of winning a senate seat was roughly four and a half million dollars, by 2012 that figure rose to an excess of ten million (David A Graham). In a matter of 12 years spending increased by over 250%. There has never been more money circulating through our political systems then there is today – and there have never been fewer hands involved. The inequality gap is only expanding. The economic elite continue to control a larger portion of our nation’s wealth, and the average worker’s portion continues to get smaller and smaller. It has become more apparent than ever, that our political system has begun developing into a plutocracy that no longer favors the masses, but rather the 1% that have the necessary funds to support our elections.

It is extremely important for Americans and the rest of the world that America is a democracy. Democracy has been the foundation that has allowed for such a diverse populace to coexist and thrive. America is seen as the golden standard and models the benefits that come along with being a representative democracy. While democracy has allowed America to prosper as a multicultural society, it is increasingly becoming fragile. Certain aspects of American democracy like the electoral college, gerrymandering and lower voter turnout further threaten the democratic nature of America.

Individual rights, or due process, and public order, or crime control, are such combative issues in modern day America for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is the extreme dichotomy of the American political system. Another reason is how our criminal justice system is set up to function: there are two sides to every story, and it is only natural that there are supporters of crime control more so than due process, and vice versa, simply because these two ‘sides’ exist.

The American Democratic system limits the public and their capacity to manage everyday life. When comparing wealthier students to poorer students, it is natural to assume that wealthier students have more privilege over poor students with an education. Opportunities specific for privileged students are provided, unlike poorer counterparts. Poverty-stricken students are exposed to different things than privileged students are, and are forced to meet standards that many cannot such as, “No Child Left Behind Act.” Wealthier children have more of an entitlement than underprivileged people from various states and communities, and this affects personal development. The American Governmental system appeals to the wealthy class, even going as far as acting oblivious towards dramatic issues that primarily affect poverty-engulfed communities such as: artistic and personal expression, wealth mobility, and the educational system inequalities.

Citizen participation in the government is not a right given to all citizens worldwide. The model of democracy is often taken for granted by Americans, but the ability to elect government officials and voice opinions on government initiatives and referenda is an incredible opportunity in the United States of America. We, as citizens, have an ability to ignite change, reform the government, and build a country that we believe in and are proud of. Therefore, the right to vote should not be taken lightly. All people afforded this right should take full advantage of the opportunity and truly invest in the government. Political participation depends on multiple factors, one of the most influential being socioeconomic status.

1.Analyze the evolution of the American political system. Be sure to include one individual or document that influenced the Constitution and one change in the federal system.

The American Political System The American political system is a federal system, which consists of